She's All That
by xoxArtemisSalvatoreBennettxox
Summary: Basically like the movie with a BAMON twist. A bet's a bet, but no one bet on him falling for her.
1. The Bet

**A/N: So I deleted Infamous, I thought it was too much if that makes any sense. But I was having a movie day and ended up watching, 'She's All That' with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachel Leigh Cook and I figured that that was sooooooo BAMON and I haven't done a high school fic yet! So here we go!**

**Damon. **

I was mad—no—scratch that, I was angry, pissed, and mad as hell!

I was Damon Salvatore: class president, voted Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelor, my family was one of the primary founders of this Godforsaken place, and I managed to maintain my 4.0 GPA. My life was perfect! I was accepted to the best colleges in the country; I was Captain of the football _and_ soccer team; I was the most popular guy in school, and I had the hottest girlfriend in the entire state of Virginia. I have the life that everyone wishes that they had. I was sexy, smart, athletic, _rich _and to top it off, I was popular. Girls wanted to date me, grown women wished that they could have this tight little piece of ass. And now, I have all of the above except for the hottest girlfriend in the entire state of Virginia.

"You're breaking up with me?" I asked dumbly to the gorgeous brunette in front of me.

"Yeah. I mean, you didn't think that we'd be together after we graduated high school did you?" I let my poker face slide off of my face for an instant before putting it back on. Unfortunately, Katherine saw my slip and gave me one of her condescending smiles. "Oh my God! You totally thought that we would be! That's so cute, but so unrealistic!" She said as she turned away from me

"Katherine, I thought we were in _love_," I whispered harshly, grabbing her forearm.

"Aw, that's so sweet," she cooed as she pinched my cheeks like an auntie would do, "You actually thought that I loved you? Please. It was fun while it lasted." She said, cheerily.

"Katherine," I hissed once more and she turned back to me with a roll of her dark chocolate orbs.

"_What_? I don't have anything else to say. I don't like you like that anymore, so I'm ending it. What's the big deal?"

"Are you being serious right now? What could have _possibly_ happened in Miami, that changed your mind about us?" This was ridiculous, she was skirting around the issue for too long and I wanted answers as to why this girl that I thought loved me, is breaking up with me.

"Oh, right! I met someone else." Katherine said nonchalantly as she pulled out her nail filer and began filing her nails.

"So you were cheating on me?" I all but yelled.

"_Cheating_ is such an _ugly_ word."

"But that's what you did."

"Huh, I guess I did, didn't I? Yeah, I cheated on you, and then fell for someone else. So sue me. But don't worry, I'll still go prom with you."

"What?"

"Yeah, see," she began slowly as if I were mentally incapacitated, "people expect us to be voted as King and Queen and how passé would it look if we didn't turn up together? Can you say: 'taboo'? Well, I gotta go. Actually, I don't want to lie to you, but I'm done with this whole Spanish Inquisition thing and I really am bored with this whole conversation. Have a good day!" She finished as she bounded towards her best friend, Emily before disappearing behind the corner.

I stood there with my mouth hanging open. What the hell just happened? When I turned around to locate my friends, I saw that bystanders had been listening in on our conversation with avid interest.

"What are you looking at?" I addressed them, before turning back to my friends.

"Well, Salvatore looks like you just got burned!" Kol said cockily. The thing about my 'friendship' with Kol is that it's not what most friendships are made of. I hate the bastard. I despise him with my entire being. He's wanted my life from the moment we met. Everything I had, he wanted. The only reason I tolerated him, was because our families were so closely intertwined. Some say that the reason why Kol and I don't get along is because we're almost the same person. God forbid me being anything like that little twerp.

"Shut it, Mikaelson," I hissed.

"Just telling it like it is, Salvatore," he challenged. I cocked my head to the side and began to stalk towards him. Stefan, my twin brother, knew what was about to go down between the younger Mikaelson and myself, so he decided to take a moment and step in between us. Call it… 'Twin telepathy.'

"Damon, don't do this. You know how much of a dick Kol is, he's just trying to get a rise out of you." I sighed, Stefan was right, as always.

"You're right, Stefan, I don't need to be bothered with child's play. I'm too good to play his games," I smirked at him.

"C'mon, Salvatore. What are you going to do now that Miss Prom Queen broke up with you?"

"Please, Katherine isn't going to be queen. The only reason that she'll win is because people are afraid of her. I bet if I put lipstick on a pig, then I could get the pig to win," I chortled and made my way towards the quad and sat down at the picnic tables.

"Bet?" Kol inquired, "You seem so sure of yourself, Salvatore, so let's see if you can put your money where your mouth is." For the first time today, Kol actually said something that piqued my interest.

"I'm listening."

"Damon, you know how Kol is, this isn't a good idea," Stefan interjected.

"A bet. Five hundred dollars to the winner." Kol started.

"Continue," I commanded.

"You said that you could have a pig become prom queen, so why don't you? I say, you take the most unattractive girl in this school and turn her into one and sleep with her. If you win, you get to call yourself Prom King and carry on with your perfect life five hundred dollars richer. If I win, you have to show up to graduation naked as the day you were born as you grab your diploma and five hundred dollars."

I have to admit, I was intrigued. I was Damon Salvatore, okay. I was liked well enough by both faculty and student body. Everybody loves me; this should be the easiest bet that I've ever won.

"Rules?" Knowing Kol, you _had_ to give him boundaries.

"1. Don't tell her about the bet, if she finds out, she finds out. 2. She _has_ to win. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal," I agreed, shaking his hand.

"Oh yeah, and _I _get to pick the girl," he smirked. He thought he had me. Ha!'

"Doesn't matter, like I said, 'I can make any girl Prom Queen.'"

As we made our way through the quad, I picked various girls that could possibly have a chance at winning such a title. Girl after girl, he rejected and I was beginning to get frustrated with my 'friend.' When we scanned the area some more, a girl came walking up the stairs with an iPod in hand and a folder in the other. All of the sudden she tripped on the stairs and went sprawling on to the floor. I watched as she moved swiftly to collect her fallen items. I also watched how people walked past her like she was invisible.

"Her," Kol said, pointing to the fallen girl. Her frizzy hair was pulled into a loose bun at the nape of her neck and her nerd glasses were perched on top of her nose. She wore an ugly maroon poncho and ill-fitting jeans with flats.

"Bonnie Bennett? No way, no way in hell! Her grandmother's that crazy, drunk, professor that teaches occult at the community college! And her grandmother thinks that they're descended from witches! She's got _insane_ written all over her."

"C'mon, Salvatore, a bet's a bet. I chose the girl, now it's your turn to make her Prom Queen. Unless you want to pay up now?" He said condescendingly.

"Look, Kol, lay off. I don't think she has that many friends, the last thing she needs s to be the butt of your inane joke," Stefan tried.

"Sorry, Stefan, but this is between your brother and me."

"Fine. I have six weeks to turn her into the Prom Queen," I said.

"Yup, now, go get her tiger!" Kol joked.

I rolled my eyes and began to trek over to the girl that sat on the ground looking at her destroyed items with a sad look on her pixie like face. Sighing, I bent down to her level and began collecting the papers. I watched as she looked at me through her frames with an inquisitive look in her eyes.

"Bonnie, right?" She didn't respond, instead she just looked at me.

"What's it to you?"

"I just saw you… here… on the ground, and I came over to help you." I said, giving her a Damon Salvatore, signature smile.

"Well don't. I don't need your help." She said as she snatched the folder from my grasp and made her way over to three people. Caroline Forbes, gossip extraordinaire. Elena Gilbert, twin sister to… Katherine. Then there's a young boy that I've only seen in passing. I did anything that a regular guy would do; I followed her over to her group of friends. As I approached the foursome, I smirked as Caroline tapped Bonnie's arm and pointed in my direction.

"Hey Bonnie, Elena, Caroline," I paused when I looked at the boy, "Alan?" He smiled at Bonnie.

"He knows my name! Damon Salvatore, knows my name!" he gushed. The kid was about sixteen years old with the same complexion as Bonnie with short brown hair.

"That's not your name," Bonnie said to him before she looked at me, "That's not his name."

"Right, sorry about that…" I trailed off.

"Aiden," the boy filled in.

"Yeah, Aiden, sorry."

"It's no big," he said with a smile.

"So, Bonnie about what I wanted to talk to you about—"

"Okay, I don't know what you're selling, but I'm not buying. Leave us alone." She said as she grabbed Aiden by the arm and made their way towards her Prius.

This was going to be harder than I thought.

**Bonnie. **

I had no idea what Damon Salvatore wanted with me. I was… Bonnie Bennett, weird chick with the even weirder family. He probably wanted me to help him with a class or whatever, I mean, I was smart but I was no genius.

"You know, Bon, you didn't have to be so mean to him, he just wanted to talk to you," Aiden said from the passenger side.

"You don't know that. He was probably plotting some horrible prank to pull on me. You know how the popular people are, Aiden." I told him as I parked in the garage to our home.

"I just think he was being nice, but you just had to go all 'She-Hulk' on him," he argued as he slammed the door to my car and made his way to the front door. Sighing, I turned the ignition off and retrieved my guitar from the back seat and followed suit.

When I walked up to the porch, I turned the key in the door and let both Aiden and myself in. Once inside, turned the lights on and looked to the left and saw Grams drunk and nearly passed out on the couch. I just rolled my eyes and dropped my stuff and tended to her while Aiden sprinted straight upstairs.

"C'mon, Grams, let's get you to bed," I said, even though it was four in the afternoon.

The thing about my Grams was that she was the only person that really raised Aiden and me. She's been there for us since we were little. Mom left when I was about three, my guess, she didn't think that being a mom suited her lifestyle so she left without a word and I haven't seen her in fifteen years.

Dad, on the other hand, he works… a lot. I haven't seen him since the beginning of the school year. All he does is send money to us here and there. If he forgets to call for a birthday, he'll send some expensive gift or more cash. Not like that makes a bit of difference. Just like Mom, we didn't fit into his ideal little world so he skipped out. His job keeps him overseas a lot, but it doesn't make a bit of difference to me. It's like, I know that he exists, but it doesn't affect me… not anymore.

Grams, my mom's mother, took us in when no one would. I felt like they thought that we were some kind of nuisance to them. If you didn't want kids, then you shouldn't have had any. Living with Grams was all I knew, it was all Aiden knew. She was a little… eccentric, but she loved us. She works as a professor of the occult at the local community college, her salary combined with the 'allowance' that my absentee father sends allows us to live in this huge, but modest, house. No one at school knew about my family's wealth. To them, I was just the freak, geek, whatever; I wasn't even on their social radar. If I were, then I would have to deal with fake friends stabbing me in the back every chance they got.

Throwing Grams' arm over my shoulders, I lead her towards the stairs to get her cleaned up before tucking her into bed. Some may see this as tedious, but Grams was all we had, all I had. I didn't fully appreciate her until I found her on the ground, having a heart attack in the kitchen. I came so close to losing her, and if I lost her, then nobody would want to take us in. Or worse, Aiden and I would be separated once social services got ahold of us.

**Damon. **

Okay, what in the hell just happened? No one, and I mean _no one_ has ever rejected me before. Popularity was something that everyone craved and I had it. Ugh, this was going to be harder than I initially thought. Turning towards my car, I saw Stefan with a solemn expression on his ever-brooding face. Ignoring him, I walked around to the driver's side of my Ferrari and slid in with Stefan copying my move.

"Save it, Stefan, I'm not in the mood."

"Damon, this can all blow up in your face. This isn't a good idea. What if Bonnie ends up getting hurt? No one deserves to be deliberately humiliated."

"Shut up, Stefan, it's just a bet. And if she wins then I managed to up her confidence and her popularity. Think of this, little brother, I'm doing community service."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Stefan retorted.

After a long talk with my little sister, Sage, she gave me some great advice… surprisingly. Once we got past her bashing me and laughing about Bonnie dissing me, she told me that I had to learn about her. Learn her habits, her lifestyle, where she works… everything, I had to make it look like I _wanted_ to know her. So the following day, I showed up at her job at the Grille. She was wiping down a table, her hair, pulled back into a loose bun as always, with her glasses still perched on her cute, little, nose. I mean, not cute, it was funny shaped.

Slowly, I approached her with all the swagger I possessed and strode up to her with the utmost confidence.

"Hi Bonnie," I said smoothly. She looked up from the table and glared at me, before returning to her task. "I'm kind of talking to you, Bennett," I stated.

"Yeah, and I was ignoring you. I guess we're at an impasse," Bonnie retorted stoically.

"Why don't you like me?" I blurted. She seemed shocked by my sudden outburst… good, at least I got her attention.

"What?"

"You heard me, don't pretend you didn't," I said in a joking manner, sure to not intimidate her.

"Why are you here?" she asked through narrowed eyes.

"I asked you first."

"Well, I asked you second, big whoop."

"Look, I know that we haven't _exactly_ spoken to one another—"

"—Correction, we haven't spoken to each other since forever. So I'll ask you again, why are you here and what do you want?"

"I just want to apologize for being a jerk for the last four years," I said, giving her my smoldering look. Girls couldn't resist that.

"Thanks…. I think. To be honest, I don't really care if you talked to me or not. It's not like you're God's gift," _Okay, ouch_, "but thanks for your apology." Bonnie said as she maneuvered around me and to the bar.

"But I want to make it up to you. How about dinner?"

"No."

"Movie?"

"No."

"Party."

"Look, just give it up! I won't go out with you. I know your type, Damon. You're going to go out with me, just to see how far you can get and despite the outcome, you're going to run back to your friends and basically shit on my name. I'm not going to have it."

If I were being honest, I would tell her that she was right about all of us. She was more perceptive than I gave her credit for. I just hope that her perceptiveness doesn't blow this whole bet thing.

"What?"

"Please, don't tell me that you don't know what you're doing. It's called slumming, in case you couldn't think of a word for it."

"I just want to get to know you," I said, desperately.

"For what reason?"

"I'm trying to make amends, can't you at least let me have that?" Bonnie seemed to contemplate this for a moment. Her mouth was set in a firm line and her arms were crossed.

"Fine, apology accepted. Can you go now? I'm working."

"You get off in five minutes. Let me know you."

"I have another job that I go to. So, unless you wanna tag along, that's your prerogative."

"Done. Where?" I almost smirked at the startled expression that she had on her face. I knew she wouldn't expect me to do something like that."

"You just don't give up, do you?"

"Nope."

"Fine. Mystic Falls Rec Center. Seven o'clock sharp. The performance starts at seven-thirty and they close the doors. If you get locked out, you get locked out, I don't care."

"I'm there."

Seven o'clock on the dot, I was there. I paid my admission fee and seated myself in the front row. I didn't know what to expect when it came to Bonnie, she was definitely a mystery. Checking my Rolex, I noted that it was time for the performance to start. I admit, I was a bit apprehensive in coming here tonight. Earlier, Sage was watching _She's All That_ on DVD and the situation Freddie Prinze Jr. found himself in, sounded eerily similar to my predicament. Maybe it was a sign that this wasn't a good idea. But I had to admit that I was nervous about what this performance entailed. Was it going to be like that wacked out art show? Or was it going to be something that I would get into?

All of the sudden, the lights cut off, and a single spotlight was shone on the stage. I watched as a person—girl—came onto the stage. She was… gorgeous. Olive green eyes, hair curled and flowing down her back. She wore a cropped off-the-shoulder blue top that bared her midriff, with a pair of skinny jeans and sneakers. It wasn't until she opened her mouth, when I discovered her true identity.

Bonnie…

She was… hot?

"Hello everyone, thank you for coming out to this benefit concert. These kids have been working their butts off for this opportunity, so thank you. So, tonight, I want to welcome to the stage, _Epic_!" The girl in question, shuffled off stage when a group of about fifteen kids ranging from five to twelve appeared in her place.

The performance had a series of backflips, freestyle, ballet, contemporary, and salsa all rolled into one great performance. I was amazed at the talent that these kids possessed. Just when I didn't think it could get any better, Bonnie made her way through the crowd and began her solo. Pirouettes meshed into breakdancing, which flowed into popping and tutting. Who knew that this girl had so much talent?

When the routine was finished, _Epic_ received a standing ovation, me being apart of it. Then, a little girl no more than five came to the microphone with a bouquet of flowers in her small hands.

"We want to thank Miss Bonnie for teaching us to dance and to have fun. We love you Miss Bonnie and we wanted to show our appre-appreciation," the little girl stumbled over the word, "appreciation," she concluded when an older child corrected her. "Here, Miss Bonnie, we love you."

The look on Bonnie's face was indescribable. These kids really loved her. What I wouldn't do to be able to keep that glowing smile on her face. Oh yeah, I was falling for Bonnie Bennett; I just didn't know it yet.

After the meet and greet with the various parents and donators, I was finally able to catch up with Bonnie on her way out of the door.

"Bonnie!" I gasped, catching up to her.

"Damon? You actually showed?" surprise was evident on her face. I saw the geek glasses on her face once more. Surprisingly, it wasn't that much of a turn off anymore.

"Told you I would. You were… PHENOMENAL! I can't believe how talented you are," I told her sincerely.

"Thank you."

"And those kids… they really love you, don't they?"

"Yeah," she said with a small smile, "I love them too." She said as she continued walking until we came to a crosswalk.

"Why don't you tell anyone about dancing? You'd be way more popular if—"

"Because, popularity doesn't mean anything to me. Why would I be vying for the attention of people that I'm not going to even care about once I get to college? It's a waste of my time and my energy. And I only tell the people that matter."

"Oh, so now I'm considered one of the few that matters to you? Great, I'm in the inner circle."

"You're not, you just annoyed me and I wanted to get you off my back."

"Seriously?" I asked slightly hurt.

"Yeah. So now you can run back to your friends and tell them how bad I suck at dancing."

"Why would I do that?" I was genuinely confused.

"Because that's what your type does." She stated as if it were common knowledge.

"I wouldn't do that to you," I said as I grabbed her upper arms and forced her to look me in the eye. For a second, I almost believed it. I almost believed that I wasn't the person that she thought I was. I was lying so much that I was beginning to believe myself.

"Sorry, but you haven't talked to me in the last four years. Excuse me for waiting for the inevitable punch line."

And then I kissed her. And it was the best kiss of my life. Unfortunately, Bonnie didn't seem to think so.

"And there it is… the punch line. Say whatever you want to your 'friends' just leave me the hell alone!" she yelled as she walked in the opposite direction.

This was going to be harder than I thought. This was only day two in my six week tryst. In the end, it'll all be worth it.

Hopefully…

_**A/N: How do you guys like this? Go? Or no go? R&R**_


	2. Blurring the Lines

**Damon. **

Okay, so yesterday was a minor setback in regards to Bonnie. Just when I think that everything's all fine and dandy, she completely flips the script. So maybe it wasn't the _best_ idea to kiss her last night after she accused me of slumming it, that just fed into her already terrible perspective of me.

So here I was, sitting in front of the Bennett household. Yesterday at school, I sought out Aiden and asked him for their address. He was more than willing to hand it over. In a way, I felt bad for using this kid. Aiden was a little socially awkward and the fact that his grandmother wasn't the sanest person in the world and his parents up and left them, but he gets a lot of shit for what his family is doing to him.

As I sat outside of their house, I had a lot of questions going through my head. Firstly, they were rich? This house was in the higher end part of Mystic Falls! Their house was a two story Victorian with well -trimmed grass and a fountain. Secondly, if she were rich like this, why didn't she tell anyone? They'd more than likely leave her alone if they knew how well off she was. Bonnie Bennett just kept the surprises coming.

Gathering what confidence that I had left, I got out of my crystal blue Mustang and walked up their cobblestone walkway towards their French doors. I was still amazed at the beauty of the house. Ringing the doorbell, I waited and during the wait, I have to admit that I was so intimidated by the house, by Bonnie and by—

"Mr. Salvatore, to what do I owe this honor?"

-Miss Sheila Bennett.

It wasn't that Sheila was mean; she just had one of those intimidating personalities that make you want to walk on eggshells around her. It's like, if you say something wrong, then that's that. You don't have any more opportunities to prove yourself to her. Bonnie was like Sheila in that respect, but I was persistent with her.

"Good morning, Ms. Bennett, is Bonnie home?"

"She is," turning back to the entrance of the house, she called, "Bonnie, a young man is here to see you!" Sheila said slightly slurred. And then I realized that she was tipsy and borderline of being drunk. How could Bonnie live with someone in a permanent state of inebriation? I mean, I drink… more than the average eighteen-year-old male should, but I don't have to be drunk all of the time.

"Is his name Damon Salvatore?" I heard her yell/slur.

"Yes."

"Then tell him to leave. I'm not interested." I felt my heart deflate at her immediate response.

"Baby, I'm sure he can hear you."

"I'm sure he can show himself out."

"Bonnie Marie Bennett! I raised you better than that. Come dome down here!" I almost wanted to smirk, but I didn't because I was kind of scared of Sheila Bennett and the possibility of her turning me away. Within seconds, Bonnie appeared next to her grandmother with her eyes narrowed towards me.

"Now Bonnie," Sheila began, "this young man drove all this way to come see you, the least you can do is grace him with your presence. Please come back any time Mr. Salvatore." I liked this woman already.

"Will do, Mrs. Bennett."

"Sheila, will do quite nicely."

"Yeah, okay, Grams," Bonnie intervened, " just go back into the house, you don't look so good. How about you lay down?"

"Bonnie, I am sixty-five years old, I don't need my _seventeen _year old granddaughter taking care of me," Sheila said indignantly, while yanking her arm free of Bonnie's grasp and stumbled into her house and towards the kitchen. Turning back towards me, Bonnie folded her arms over her chest and glared.

"_What_ do you want?"

"I think we should start over," I replied in a breath.

"You tried to kiss me!"

"So? If I wanted to do more I would have, but I didn't. Doesn't that count for anything?" I smirked.

"You know, I can't stand liars," she cocked her head.

"What makes you think I'm lying?"

"Because what would the truth do to benefit you?" _Absolutely nothing. _

"Come to the beach with me."

"No."

"Come on? What do you have to lose?" I probed.

"My self respect?" Then I laughed, "What?"

"For a second I thought you were going to say, 'reputation.' Then I remembered that you don't have one."

"And that's a joke to you? Well, I wish I could say that it was a pleasure having you here, but I'd be lying," Bonnie snapped, while trying to close the door on me. Reflexively, I put my foot in the gap that separated the door from its frame.

"You know, Sheila said that I could stop by anytime…" I hinted.

"Yeah, and?" She raised her eyebrow in suspicion.

"What if I told her that I wanted to visit now? Think about it, Bon, I could spend _all_ day here. I have no prior engagements, so you get to enjoy my company until _I_ decide _when _I want to leave. I could stay here _all night_ in your safe, little, haven. But, see, all I want is a few hours of your time. What are a few hours to _all night_? So, what will it be, Bennett?"

I had to refrain myself from smirking for a second time today. Yeah, I manipulated her Grams' invitation to my personal gain, but hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. I wanted to win this bet.

"Give me five minutes," she murmured before sprinting up the stairs.

Yup, Salvatore charm always works…

The trip to the beach was made in silence. Bonnie was still angry that I had basically blackmailed her into coming with me, and on some basic level I was disgusted with myself for playing dirty, but an even larger part of me reminded me that this bet was worth it all in the end.

Luckily for us, the beach was only a little crowded and it would give us enough time to get to know each other. There was so much to do with so little time. I had to promote her, get her immersed into the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Good thing she was already rich.

Once we were on the beach, I noticed that she didn't have her glasses and her hair was piled on top of her head with tendrils falling out. I couldn't believe that her eyes were green, the type of green that were not contacts. She was actually… stunning. Go figure.

"So, are you happy that you came out?"

"I didn't do it for you, I did it for me. The sooner I came out with you, the sooner this day will be over."

_Okay, that's it…_

"What's your problem? I mean, I go out of my way to befriend you, to be nice to you and all I get is your hatred. Tell me what I did to piss you off so much! Really, Bonnie, at least by then I'll know what crawled up your ass."

"I don't have a problem with you, Damon. I have a problem with your posse. For the last four years they have made my life a living hell! You don't think that I've heard what they say about me? How they talk about the broken home that I come from? About what a loser I am? I know! I also know that you didn't do a _damn_ thing to stop them from tormenting me. Now you, Mr. Popular, wants to be all buddy-buddy? It seems kind of suspicious, don't you think?"

She was right. She was a little bit more perceptive than most of the girls that go to Mystic Falls. Bonne has every right to not trust me. I mean, just look at what I'm doing. I'm using her to win a petty bet.

"I'm sorry. And nothing I can say or do can change the past. All I can do is apologize and move on. I hope you can do the same."

"I should apologize too," Bonnie said after a pregnant pause, "I'm sorry, I just—I have a terrible history of people letting me down. From the rumors you hear, I bet you know why."

I did know why. I knew what people thought, I knew about the rumors, but what I didn't know, was Bonnie's side of the story.

"Okay, enough of this sad, 'woe is me,' crap. I brought you to the beach for one purpose. I want to know you."

"What do you want to know?"

"For one thing, how did you learn to dance like that?"

"Um… a lot of dance flicks, Michael Jackson YouTube videos, and _a lot_ of time," she chuckled.

"It's still amazing! Show me some moves," I commanded.

"What! You can't just command me to dance like some windup toy monkey!" she laughed. She _actually_ laughed while she was in my presence. If that wasn't progress, then I didn't know what was.

With my ever-present smirk on my face, I reached into my bag and pulled out my iPod and pressed play. Within seconds, Justin Timberlake's song, 'My Love' was blasting through the small speakers.

"Don't tell anyone that I have this on my iPod," I warned.

"Fine. I won't tell if you won't. By the way, I love this song, and I know the moves by heart."

I watched as she began dancing. Watching her dance was like watching water flow. Every movement that she exalted was sharp and flowing into the next stance. Bonnie was so talented, but why did she keep her talent hidden from the rest of the world? Soon, I was broken out of my musings by LMFAO's, "Sorry For Party Rocking," blaring through some speakers. Looking at the stairway that led to this spot, I saw my 'friends'… and Kol coming down with huge smiles on their faces with beachwear and coolers that were, without a doubt, filled with beer.

Great…

"Hey bro, Rose was asking where you were today and I told them that you had gone to the beach. And, well, Rose told Trevor who told Kol who told everyone else. So here we are! Hope you don't mind," Stefan said, hastily. I knew that he was worried about me being angry with him, but I wasn't. Truth be told, Stefan has a good heart, but sometimes…

"It's. Fine." I said through gritted teeth. Turning to Bonnie, I noticed her stoic face. Her face had closed off. "Do you mind if they stay?"

"Stefan's the only one that's ever been nice to me. I like him. I'll stay."

_Okay… not exactly the wording I was going for, but as long as she stays._

"Thank you." Instead of responding, Bonnie pulled her T-shirt over her head and tossed it into her bag, before walking away from me and catching up with Stefan, who was manning the grill. Hot damn! I knew her face was gorgeous, but her body… wow. Petite, yes, but with curves were in all of the right places.

The party was well under way. The music was booming, the food was great, and most importantly, Bonnie was having a good time. Everyone gravitated towards her like moths to a flame. A smile bigger than anyone I've seen adorned her face. When I looked at her through the crowd of people, I caught Bonnie's eye, and she gave me the most beautiful smile I have ever seen.

"Well, well, well, look's like the freak is actually a hottie under all of those clothes," said Kol's annoying voice from behind me.

"Very good, now can you predict who's going to win the bet next, Nostradamus?" I smirked and cocked my head to the side.

"We shall see, Salvatore," he sneered before walking away.

This better be worth it, but now, the lines have begun to blur. Are the feelings that I had for Bonnie only a figment of my imagination? Or am I falling for the girl that I'm molding into what I want her to be? Do I have feelings for Bonnie Bennett? Why does this bet not mean as much as it used to?

So many questions that I don't have the answers to. I do know one thing… if I am falling for her, then I am so royally screwed.

_**A/N: Hey you guys! Wow, I am ASTOUNDED by the amount of reviews that I've managed to accumulate! Thanks so much! A reader brought to my attention that I don't finish my stories. Yeah, sorry about that, I just get all of these ideas and I have to put them somewhere! I will try my hardest to update those and make them great… hopefully! So thanks again! BTW 'Beastly' is on my to-do list so be on the lookout!**_


	3. Little Brother

Bonnie Bennett was actually human. Who knew? During the beach party, people were coming up to her and speaking to her like they were long lost friends. It was then I realized how fake these people really were. Two days ago, they would have taunted Bonnie about her whacked out grandmother and tease her about the clothes that she wore. They thought that she was broke. Ha! If they only knew how rich she was in reality.

I also observed how the people fluttered to her, she would engage in a short conversation with them before sticking close to Stefan. The fact that she was using Stefan as her 'go to' man instead of me pissed me off. Sure, I'll admit that I didn't pay much attention to her before this bet started, but was that really any reason for her to seek comfort from STEFAN? Seriously? Of all the people she could have chosen to be with, she chose to be with my BROTHER. I had to put an end to this. Now.

Swiftly, I marched through the crowd like a man on a mission. I didn't mean to be a dick, it just happened when it concerned things that were mine.

"Bonnie, there you are," I said with faux pleasantries. She gave me a blank look before raising her brow.

"Yep, I've been here since the beginning of the party. Thanks for just now realizing it." Ignoring her sarcasm, I turned towards my twin and glared.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" I hinted.

"No," he smirked back.

"Then go somewhere else," I bluntly enforced.

"Here, Bonnie, I'll get you another soda."

"Thanks Stefan." She thanked.

I watched as Stefan retreated to provide Bonnie with her soda. Narrowing my eyes, I turned towards her and crossed my arms.

"So, you're interested in my brother?" I said without preamble.

"What?" She gasped, "So what if I am? What business of it is yours? I've already told you that he was the only one who's been nice to me since… ever. It's only right that I do like him."

"Don't confuse feelings with gratification. And besides, he's probably using you to get to your friend Elena that he has a crush on and thinks that I don't know about it," I informed her, satisfied with myself for deterring her feelings from him.

Suddenly, I felt like I had been sucker punched in the gut at the sad look on her face. Bonnie didn't have much self -confidence to begin with, now I think I pretty much shattered it.

"You know what, Damon? Screw you. You're not worth my time," she said coldly, before stalking further into the crowd. God, I was a moron! I knew I had to apologize to her. I just… hated seeing her bask in someone else's company that wasn't mine. I honestly don't know what was more pathetic, the fact that I didn't want her to speak to any other red-blooded male, or the fact that I was falling for her.

"Wow, brother, you're getting good at crashing and burning with her."

"Shut. Up."

"Shut don't go up, prices do, so take my advice and shut up too!" he taunted.

"Not in the mood, Stefan."

"Look, do you want my advice, brother to brother?" My ears perked up at his words. I turned to him with a raised brow, issuing him to continue. "Bonnie's a nice girl. Think about how she sees this. She sees it as you trying to use her, and granted, you kind of are, but you have to learn how to approach her. You've never said two words to her before last week. Think about it. Stop trying to control her, she's not yours for the taking."

"So what are you trying to say?"

"And you're the one with the 4.0? How'd you swing that? I'm saying, you need to apologize to her." With one final look in my direction, Stefan stalked off and disappeared into the crowd.

I knew that I had to apologize for being such an indescribable asshole, but apologizing isn't exactly one of my strong suits. If I wanted to keep Bonnie and win this bet, I _had_ to apologize… and fast.

Stalking through the crowd, I found Bonnie standing by herself along the shore. She looked beautiful in the setting sun. Yeah, this bet was turning me into a huge softy. I never had to work for a girl's affections before; usually they would just throw themselves at me, but Bonnie… she was a different story. She challenged me without knowing it. With Katherine, she liked keeping me jealous. She would go out and deliberately seek out another man because she liked the reaction she evoked within me. I realize now that my relationship with Katherine was toxic. I didn't need that in my life.

Coming up next to her, I crossed my arms and looked ahead. For minutes, on end, we stood next to one another without saying a word. I knew for a fact that I wanted to apologize the right way, but I couldn't seem to get my thoughts into words and my words into action. Then I blurted out:

"I never apologize. I know, crazy right? But I don't. I don't know why it should even matter to me what you think because after we graduate, there's a good chance that we'll never see each other again." I babbled.

"Is there some sort of… point, you're getting to?" she asked without even sparring me a glance.

"My point… is that, even though I don't like to apologize for being a dick and I don't care what people think of me… I care what _you_ think of me. For some reason, your opinion of me matters the most. It feels like… I don't want to disappoint you. Even though I have a sucky way of showing it, I do care about you, Bennett."

Wow. Good on me. First apology in forever and I poured my heart into that miniature monologue, I just hoped that she accepted my apology. While I was admitting my wrong, I couldn't help but feel the tightening in my chest where my heart is. I felt… guilt. Guilt for what I was doing. Guilt for betraying Bonnie's trust. And for what, a stupid bet? God, I was pathetic.

"I accept your apology," she said out of the blue, still not looking in my direction.

"You do?" I asked, trying not to sound too eager.

"I do," then Bonnie turned to face me, "but if you ever, and I mean, _ever_ treat me like that again, next time I won't be so forgiving."

"Duly noted."

We lapsed into silence.

"Look, there's a party tonight at the Lockwood mansion. I'd really like it if you were my date." That was when she looked at me; her emerald green eyes staring up at me in confusion. You'd think I just asked her to marry me and have my kids. Imagine that, two tanned children with one or both of our eye colors, taking over Mystic Falls like badasses, yeah, those would be my kids.

"No."

"What? I think I must have heard you wrong, did you say no?" I gasped.

"Yeah, I said no." At my frown, she quickly backtracked what she was saying. "I'm not saying that I wouldn't love to go to a party with you, it's just that… those people aren't really my scene. I played nice enough here, but that's because… well, I'm not entirely sure why. But a party with no escape… that spells all kinds of trouble that I don't want or need."

"This is my cool way of asking you out on a date. Again, I've never asked a girl out before, so you're really taking a knife to my ego."

Bonnie then looked up at me with wonderment in her eyes. I don't think that I've ever confessed something like that to someone I barely knew. It was like word vomit. It kept coming and coming with no sign of stopping. God, I was pathetic. Strangely enough, that was becoming the theme of this evening.

"You've never asked _Katherine_," she said the name with disdain, "out?"

"Katherine… Katherine is a 'take charge' kind of person. She asked me out, not the other way around."

"And then she dumped you."

"Right, and then she dumped me," I agreed.

"She's an idiot," Bonnie commented. I chuckled in return. I loved it when she spoke her mind. "Pick me up tonight at nine, then we'll head over to Tyler's."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. But remember what I said, Damon, you screw me, and you will personally see the damage I can do. Got it?"

_**A/N: Sorry about the shortness of the chapter. It was like a filler chapter kind of thing. The next chapter will be 'The Party' and Damon's feelings will be shown rather than told. And then there's Katherine…**_


	4. The Real World

_**Damon. **_

Never have I ever been so nervous asking a girl out on a date before. Sure, I've been on many dates that ended… in my favor, so to speak. With Bonnie, I never knew what I would get with her. She could be throwing me hot and cold and I feel like an idiot every time I wanted to say something to Bonnie, I would have to plan it out so I wouldn't say something stupid to offend her. Bonnie was different from any kind of girl that I had been with. Though we're not technically 'together' in the biblical sense, she gave me less than any girl, but she left me wanting more.

Now here I was, waiting outside her house in my crystal blue Mustang, itching to just see her. It was going onto nine-thirty and I had yet to make my way to the door. I knew how girls operated, when they say nine, they mean wait for half an hour before they were ready. Me, I have the attention span of an ADHD squirrel. I don't like waiting. With that thought in mind, I hopped out of my car and made my way to the front door. Shakily, I raised my fist to the wooden door and knocked.

Moments passed and finally the door was opened. On the other side of the door, Sheila Bennett stood with a bottle in hand and a glazed look in her eyes. She was drunk. She stood there with her eyes narrowed at me.

"Hello, Mrs. Bennett, I'm here to pick up Bonnie."

"Oh, Damon Salvatore, I wish I could say it was a pleasure, but then we both know I'd be lying," Sheila said with a slur immersed with her Louisiana-esque accent. What? Earlier today, she was only too happy to see me, now she couldn't stand to be near me.

"Uh…" I mean, what was I supposed to say? "I'm here to pick up, Bonnie?" And before Sheila could say anything else, Bonnie's little brother, Aiden zoomed past Sheila and towards the door.

There have been some crazy rumors about that kid. Rumors like he was into voodoo because his grandmother got him and Bonnie into that kind of stuff because she teaches occult at Mystic Falls University. To be honest, that kid was majorly weird. There were some things he did that were… weird. He'd flip out when someone got too close to him. Sometimes he would walk up to a girl… a very popular girl, and go on and on and on about nothing, then some other times he would just not speak. That made him the biggest target for bullying… especially from Kol Mikaelson.

"Hi, Damon. Wow, it's so cool that you're here even if you're going to pick up my lame sister. I mean, what would you want with Bonnie anyway? Isn't she a proclaimed freak in your inner circle? I mean, really. But just because I rag on her doesn't mean that you can. You hurt my sister, and I'll find some way to hurt you. Got it?" the prepubescent kid rambled.

"Uh, yeah, sure," I said as I tried to look around him and Sheila, waiting for Bonnie to miraculously appear out of thin air. "Is Bonnie coming down anytime soon?"

The kid turned around before screaming, "Bonnie! Damon Salvatore's here for you!" then he turned back around to me, "Wanna come in?"

"Please."

As I walked inside the elaborate household in awe, I had no idea how rich they really were. The Bennett household was almost as gorgeous as the Salvatore Manor. Wow. Though the house was beautiful, I didn't want to stay here longer than I should.

My prayers were answered when I saw Bonnie. When she walked down the stairs, I felt like I had taken a scene from the movie, 'She's All That,' and placed it into my life. Even though Bonnie wasn't wearing the dress from the movie, I felt like it was the same impact altogether. As she descended the stairs, I was entranced. She wore a silvery-green dress that shimmered each step she took. Her hair was down in curls that cascaded over her left shoulder. Her makeup was smoky and it illuminated her emerald green eyes. Never in my entire life would I have ever called Bonnie beautiful. Hot? Yes, I called all girls hot. But beautiful? Not a chance.

"Wow, Bonnie—um—you look n-nice," I stuttered. Damn, I never stuttered not in front of a girl.

"Just nice? Gee, thanks, way to make a girl feel special, Salvatore. And you're late. I said, 9:00pm not 9:01, not 8:59—9:00 pm."

"I just figured that girls always say nine and then take half an hour…" I left the end of the sentence hanging.

"Well, as you come to find, I'm not like most girls. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, " she said before she turned back to the house, "Aiden, Grams, I'm gone, don't wait up." At the silence that was emitted, Bonnie turned back around and made her way to my car. I went to the driver's side of the car and got in. I turned to the side and noticed that Bonnie wasn't in the car; instead she stood next to it with her arms crossed and a frown on her bow shaped lips.

"Aren't you getting in?" I asked.

"I don't go out with guys who don't open doors for me."

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack. I mean, it's the least you could do after making me wait for your sorry ass."

"Get in the car, Bonnie," I all but growled.

"No."

"Damn it, Bonnie, get in the car!" I yelled.

"No. I mean I don't _have _to go to this party. I mean you could go by yourself. Either way, it doesn't affect me whether or not I go, you're 'Mr. Popular,'" she air quoted. "People expect to see you there."

Sighing in frustration, I shoved the door open and climbed out before I went around to the passenger side of my car and wrenched the door open. I hate to admit it, but I wanted Bonnie there because she was my escape from the 'Popularity Realm' and I needed that. I needed her, she was my lifeline to the outside world, but there was no way in hell I was going to tell her that.

"Happy now?" I growled trying to sound aggravated.

"Well, your manners could have been better, but I'll take what I can get when it comes to Damon Salvatore," she said as she climbed into the car. I ran my hand through my hair and got in. Bonnie Bennett sure was one of a kind.

X*X*X*X*

Ten minutes later…

Ten minutes of absolute silence. God, when has anything been so awkward? At least on my part it was. I couldn't help but think of what Bonnie had said: _'But I'll take what I can get when it comes to Damon Salvatore.' _What the hell is that supposed to mean.

"What did you mean?" I asked out of nowhere.

"What do you mean, 'what did I mean?'"

"When you said: 'I'll take what I can get when it comes to Damon Salvatore.' What the hell does that mean?" What kind of person did she really see me as?

"Really? This is what's been on your mind? I meant, what I said. I don't know what I'll get with you. One minute you're hot, another minute you're cold. And to be frank, I don't know what you want with me. I mean, you've never talked to me before this year and don't think for a second that I don't know about rumors that people say about me. And don't think that I don't know that you listen to them. My only question is, what's it to you?"

_About five hundred dollars, _I wanted to say, but I didn't; instead, I pulled up to Tyler Lockwood's house and got out of the car and walked into the house without another word to Bonnie.

I needed a drink…

_**Bonnie. **_

Great… now what was his problem? I swear this guy has more personalities than Sybil (1). First, he makes this huge deal about me going to this party; where, apparently, everyone who was anyone was trying to get and invite. And because I was going with 'Damon Salvatore,' that automatically meant that I was a VIP. Who knew? To them, I was just the lowly Bonnie Bennett with two absentee parents that made with the disappearing act. I had a 'psycho' or 'weird' little brother, who in reality had Asperger's syndrome, (2). And last but certainly not least a drunken grandmother who rambles on and on about how our family's lineage was derived from Salem witches. Sometimes, just to shut her up, I would have to pour her another bottle.

Now, because I've spent a grand total of five hours on the beach with these people who have never thought to take a second look at me, I am the epitome of 'cool.' This isn't a romantic comedy, I'm not going to let this new found popularity go to my head. I'm not out to impress a bunch of sheep. What I couldn't believe was Damon. Just when I thought we've cleared the air between the two of us, he turns the tables on me. Granted, I have been… difficult when it came to this Salvatore brother, but not once had I lead Damon into thinking that I trusted him. I've made it know that I don't. Why all of the sudden did he want to take interest in me? Damon Salvatore, Homecoming King, four years in a row. And now he's going to be Prom King. It was inevitable. So what would the famed Damon Salvatore want with a lowly commoner like me?

All of the questions rattled around my head, but I decided on one thing. It was for me to live for myself. With that thought, I climbed out of Damon's Mustang and followed the lively crowd into the Lockwood Mansion. I had been here once before. Tyler Lockwood and I were friend back when we were six and everything was simple. The mansion hadn't changed; it was just as grandiose as anything I've ever seen; only now it was full of drunken teenagers. AKA the 'Popular Clique' and the 'Middle Class.' The Middle Class is just how it sounds. They're like the popular kids, but they lack the 'necessary funds' to even be considered popular. This generation was so damn shallow.

As I walked further into the house in order to find Damon, I saw nothing but couples bumping and grinding to the latest hits or making out, _or_ doing both wile being completely wasted. Everyone was drunk. Gross… but at least the music was good.

I stalked further inside and found a blonde girl crying while she looked onto another couple that were intimately intertwined. I recognized her as Rebekah Mikaelson, arch enemy of Caroline and co- captain of the cheerleading team, and always the runner up when it came to Katherine Pierce (who changed her name because she didn't want to be associated with her family).

"Matt How could you?" she screeched, but the couple ignored her. When he didn't answer her, she bolted towards the bathroom.

The thing about Rebekah Mikaelson was that everyone thought that she was your typical mean and vindictive blonde beauty. The whole student body thought that she didn't possess one nice bone in that petite body of hers. Me, on the other hand, knew that the blonde was, in fact; smart and nice. Like, really, really. Rebekah might not have known me, but she was never mean to me in the hallways like some of the other popular people. I don't know what I had done to make them hate me as much as they did, but they were relentless. Sometimes I just wanted to die from the torment they had dealt me. I thought, like most bullied teens, that the pain would just go away if I put a gun to my head, a rope to my throat, or downed an incomparable amount of pills. Then I realized how selfish I was being. I had people in this world that loved me and needed me, and for them, I wouldn't do it. I stayed.

I followed Rebekah to the bathroom. Cautiously, I brought my fist to the hardwood door and knocked.

"Occupied!" she yelled with her British coated accent.

I tried again.

"Are you deaf or just stupid? I said, 'occupied!'" she yelled, throwing the door open while giving me a seething glare that would have had Medusa set in stone. I handed her a tissue from my purse.

"Um, no. I-I saw what happened and I though t that I would check on you," I stammered.

"Oh great, you saw my boyfriend cheating on me with the queen of the skanks! Great, now toddle off. Spread as many rumors as you want about me, but just leave me alone. Shoo!" The way she talked to me irritated me.

"Look, I don't spread rumors. Your boyfriend was a dick, but you shouldn't let this indiscretion ruin your night or your life. Go out there and show him that he can't control you. Make him jealous. Do whatever, but don't let him win."

"Are you like… a lesbian or something?" Ugh. I rolled my eyes and barked a simple 'no' at her and turned around and began to leave. Who was I, a love guru?

I think not.

"Hey, wait!" I heard Rebekah's voice ring out to me. I turned around to face the girl in question.

"Yes?" I asked, leaving the end of my sentence hanging.

"Do I know you?" she questioned. A pang hit my heart. Was I really that invisible?

"Uh, no, but I go to Mystic Falls High School with you, my name's Bonnie Bennett," I said as I held out my hand for her to take.

"Oh… you're the one with the whacked out grandmother, right?" Okay… that hurt.

"Yeah, but she took a break from being crazy tonight so I could go out," I quipped.

"You know what? I think we're going to be the best of friends," Rebekah beamed. Caroline was going to be so pissed. She hated that girl. Wow, who'd have thought that she wanted to be friends with me? Unless…

"Are you drunk?"

"Nope! Sober as a judge, actually. Now, new best friend, Bonnie, let's go dance!" Rebekah squealed as she grabbed my wrist and dragged me onto the makeshift dance floor.

What have I gotten myself into?

_**Damon.**_

__I tried not to let Bonnie's words get to me. All I felt was guilt. Bonnie had made it a point to tell me how much she doesn't trust me, and if she knew about the shit I was pulling behind her back, she'd hate me. Hell, I'm beginning to hate myself. I'm a dick. I admit that. But somehow in the time span of two weeks, getting to know Bonnie became less about winning the bet and more about getting to know her. She was so much more than the 'freak' that everyone called her. The impact that her words had had me taken by surprise. Her brutal words honestly had me choking and I knew that I had to get out of there.

When I entered Tyler's house, I headed straight for the bar. I was an awful person. Why people like me, I had no idea. After my first gulp I went to go find my 'friends.' They had migrated to a line of tables and doing body shots off of some willing participants.

Tyler was the first to notice my sudden appearance.

"Salvatore! Nice to see you've joined the festivities! Where's Ball- and -Chain Bennett?"

"She was being too clingy so I had to get away," I responded automatically. Tyler began setting up for the pool game. As he racked the balls I could see a small smirk on his face.

"What's with the smirk, Lockwood?" I asked.

"Nothing. Nothing. Just thinking about that saying that my parents used to tell me."

"Okay, well, why don't you share this, 'inside joke' with the rest of us," I continued to press, daring him to say something against Bonnie or me. Yes, I realized that I was in the midst of a bet and that I was using Bonnie for personal gain, but that didn't mean that these tools I call, 'friends,' could talk shit about her without repercussions.

"Okay," **chuckle** "it goes, 'If you put makeup on a pig, it's still a pig, only in drag." Now that moron was full out laughing like a damned hyena. Nearby bystanders who had overheard the exchange, began chortling along with Tyler. This angered me. It wasn't the fact that this mutt was talking shit (he did that on a regular basis anyway), it was that he was talking shit about Bonnie because she wasn't here to defend herself. She got an invite straight from the horse's mouth, and the douchebag had the audacity to mock her?

Then there were the desperate simpletons who joined in on Tyler's taunting because they craved popularity so much. Was this really the world I belonged in? Weeks ago, I probably would have joined in on the mockery, hell; I probably would have started it. But now, things have changed and so have I.

Before Lockwood could belt out another laugh track, I had my hands wrapped around the lapels of his button up shirt, and had him pressed against a wall.

"Hey Lockwood, I have a saying for you. 'Don't talk shit unless you wanna get hit,'" I all but growled at the trembling male beneath my fists. It felt like a movie moment. Everyone was silent as they watched the exchange between the two of us. The only sound was the music pulsating in the background.

"Whoa man, calm down! It was only a joke!" he tried reasoning.

"Well, if that's a joke, then I'll beat you down like it's funny."

"You're crazy!" Tyler shouted.

"Not crazy, just pissed off."

"Damon, stop," Stefan said, calmly as he placed a light hand on my forearm in effort to pacify me.

"Today must be your lucky day, Lockwood. Stefan, here, just saved your ass from a beat down," I smirked sardonically as I released the trembling boy from my grasp. It was then I realized that all eyes were on me. The music was still reverberating off the walls, but no one was dancing. I was used to the attention, so I did what any other popular person in this situation would do. I grabbed a shot and held it in the air in a toasting gesture and said, "Now, let's party!" and downed my shot. Everyone agreed with my sentiment, because they too downed their beverages and resumed partying.

I scanned the crowd and spotted Bonnie staring back at me while she danced with… Rebekah? Have I just entered the Twilight Zone? I watched her like a hawk as she grabbed her new friend's attention. Over the music it looked like they were having a silent conversation, before she maneuvered through the sea of gyrating bodies and made her way towards me.

Tonight, she looked more beautiful and alive that I have ever seen her look. In that moment, I wanted to take her and make her mine. Since she began dancing I could see others (men and some women) checking her out. I didn't like that. When I saw them mentally undressing her with their eyes, I wanted to make them blind so that no one but me could view her. I got this, unsettling bubbling feeling in the pit of my stomach akin to jealousy when I saw other guys trying to attract her attention. She came to a complete stop when she saw me.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," I repeated.

"Look, um, I heard what Tyler said about me," _Oh great, here it comes…_ "And I just wanted to thank you; you know, for sticking up for me." Did I hear her right? Did I just get a 'thank you' from the elusive Bonnie Judgmental Bennett?

"You're welcome." I answered gruffly.

"So, um, do you want to dance?" she asked, looking everywhere but at me.

"Sure. Seeing as I'm not doing anything right now, I'd love to dance with you."

In turn, Bonnie gave me one of her infamous half smiles before she led me to the dance floor. I've never felt this way before—nervous, I mean. Not even when I was still with Katherine. I felt like a desperate virgin on prom night. Bonnie was different from the other girls I've been with and/ or slept with. I knew that she didn't trust me, and that was smart, but what I enjoyed was her wanting to know me. With her, I was Damon Salvatore. And so far, just being Damon Salvatore, no title, felt good to me.

Bonnie wasn't even in my arms for ten seconds before she was ripped away from me. When I saw who was responsible for my sudden anger, I began to laugh at the irony. It was Katherine, and boy did she look pissed. Was it wrong that I got some sort of satisfaction from seeing my homely looking ex seething with jealousy? Probably, but I enjoyed it anyway. Katherine looked horrible. Her hair was in disarray and her eyes were glazed over. She held a cigarette between her middle and pointer finger, and a red cup in the other. She was already tipsy, bordering on drunk. I looked over her shoulder to see her boyfriend Klaus, 'dancing' to some song about 'ass,' where Katherine was attempting to stand on her own two feet.

"What are you doing here, loser?" she slurred slightly as she took in Bonnie's appearance. Check that, Katherine being drunk didn't deter her from being a raging bitch.

_**Bonnie.**_

I didn't know what to think. All I knew was that, one second I'm in Damon's arms, and the next, I'm staring into the face of Elena's drunken twin sister, Katherine the bitch.

"I was invited," I said, deciding to ignore her dig. Her eyes narrowed, and before I knew it, the drink she had in her hand was making its way down my dress. The crowd stopped and stood in silence for the second time that night, and stared at the scene.

"Oh, oopsie. You know, you really should be more careful with silk," Katherine smirked.

I was mortified.

For the second time tonight I was being made a fool of. I knew that I didn't belong here and I was stupid for thinking Damon could convince me that I did. Looking back at the she-demon, I smirked. It was then I realized Katherine's weakness.

Popularity.

She was so desperate to have it that she wanted to take anyone down who posed a threat to her and the only thing she had going for her. Let's check the list, shall we?

Friends? Fake.

Boyfriend? A reject from the show, 'Cali Shore.'

Education? Community college sometime in the foreseeable future.

Family? Self absorbed/ want nothing to do with her.

High School? Ending.

Future? Bleak.

So, who was the real loser of this story? Her or me? Survey says: her.

"Thank you, _Kat_," I said with emphasis on her nickname.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, 'thank you.' for a minute there, I forgot why I avoided places like this and people like you."

Katherine chuckled, "Avoided us? Honey, look around you. To everyone here who matters, you're vapor, you're spam, a waste of perfectly good yearbook space, and nothing's ever gonna change that." The audience we attracted laughed. Everyone but Damon, Stefan, and Rebekah. Yeah, it hurt that that's what people thought of me, but I didn't live for them.

"Oh, you aren't going to cry are you?" she cackled like the bitch she was.

"No, I'm not. You're not worth my tears. Do you know why you're _such_ a raging _bitch_, Katherine?" she stopped laughing, and so did the crowd.

"What did you say to me, Bennett?"

"I _hate _repeating myself. I said, 'do you know why you're such a raging bitch, Katherine?' I'll tell you. You have no future. Face it, when high school is done, so are you. You have no handle on your life. Do you think people in the real world care that you were popular in _high school_? Truth is, you're scared that a soon as you strut across that stage and get your high school diploma, you're going to become irrelevant. Those people," I gestured towards the students, "your, so-called-friends, are moving on to bigger and better things. Hell, even I am. And you're going to be stuck in Mystic Falls for the rest of your life. In ten years, you're going to be known as 'that girl I went to high school with.' You're like letters in the sand at the beach, you'll fade away eventually and no one's going to care. Face it, all you are is a C-minus GPA with a Wonder Bra." At her silence, I continued, "Oh, you're not going to _cry_ are you, Pierce?" I mimicked the words that she had said to me.

With one last look at the angry girl, I made my way out of Tyler's house and began walking. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew that I had to get out of there before anyone could see me cry.

_**Damon.**_

Flabbergasted.

That was the only word that could aptly describe everyone's facial expressions after Bonnie told Katherine off. I was so proud of her. She said the same stuff that I've always wanted to tell the vacuous brunette. Wow, today must be my lucky day. Now, all I had to do was find Bonnie, and call it a night.

"Damon! Are you going to just let her get away with that? She can't get away with mocking me like this!" she screeched. I turned around to face my ex with some parting words.

"Go mock yourself."

And like that, I, Damon Salvatore, was free of Katherine Pierce.

_**A/N: FINALLY I UPDATED THIS STORY! SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT! AND SORRY FOR GRAMMAR ERRORS. INSPIRATION STRIKES AT THE ODDEST TIMES! WELL, I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED THIS CHAPTER. I ENJOYED WRITING IT. READING OVER MY REVIEWS, I FOUND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT BONNIE TO BE LIKE LANEY WHEN SHE ENDED UP CRYING AND RUNNING AWAY. I AGREED. I LIKE STRONG BONNIE, SO HERE YOU HAVE STRONG BONNIE! REVIEW KINDLY PLEASE!**_

_**AGAIN, SORRY FOR THE WAIT!**_

_**1) **__**Sybil:**__** T**_he movie dramatizes the life of a shy young graduate student, Sybil Dorsett who is suffering from dissociative identity disorder as a result of the psychological trauma she suffered as a child. With the help of her psychiatrist, Sybil gradually recalls the severe child abuse that led to the development of 13 different personalities.

_**2) **__**Asperger's Syndrome: **_Is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. Although not required for diagnosis, physical clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported.


	5. Realizations (Revised)

**Damon.**

I couldn't help the wide smirk that spread across my face. Katherine's face was _**priceless**_! It was hilarious! The thing about Bonnie is that she avoided the popular people like the plague. She wanted nothing to do with us simply because she thought that we were only all about the drama, gossip, and who were hooking up with each other. While most of that may be true, there was more to some people than others. In Katherine's case, she put everything out there on display so that people could take her or leave her however they wish. If you thought she was a bitch, then you are correct. Bonnie on the other hand, is a separate case altogether.

Bonnie, was your typical 'Girl Next Door.' She helped her alcoholic grandmother around the house and basically raised her brother on her own. Her parents didn't give two shits about her and Aiden, but all I knew was that they were missing out on so much. They were off travelling the world and living the cliché; forgetting that they had kids to raise. The Bennett family was loaded, and I'm not saying that because I was a dick, I'm saying that because it was true. Unlike Katherine, who flaunts her wealth, Bonnie was quiet about the money that her 'family' has for them. At this school, money equals status. The more money you have, the higher up on the popularity totem pole you are. Because Bonnie isn't vocal about anything that regards-money she's not that kind of girl. As corrupt as the high school system is, it's still a system. If Bonnie let people know that she wasn't as poor as people thought she was, that could eliminate all kinds of torture that her and her brother have been subjected to.

After the 'loser' of the school humiliated Katherine, I went to find Bonnie. With those heels that she had worn tonight, she couldn't have gotten very far. I was proud of Bonnie for being able to deal with The Wicked Witch of the West. It was about time that she stood up for herself and stopped letting people walk over her. I didn't like to see Bonnie hurting, and I refuse to let her be subjected to juvenile bullshit that she was above.

I strolled out of the congested and heated home, and into the cool May breeze. Once I was outside, I felt like I could breathe again. Being in there, with all of those people—people that I used to consider as friend—I felt suffocated. It was like the walls were closing in on me, which hindered my plan to escape. Being outside made me feel free. My elation, however, was short-lived when I heard the distinct sound of someone crying. Almost immediately I realized that they were cries from Bonnie. Cautiously, I approached the girl, careful not no startle her or having her think I was spying on her. I could feel the roughness of the gravel beneath my shoe. Each time I stepped, I could hear the crunching sound that it produced.

To my surprise, I discovered Bonnie sitting on the sidewalk in front of Tyler's mansion with her knees pressed against her chest. The only indication that she wasn't a statue was the light shuddering of her shoulders.

"Uh Bonnie… are you okay?" I stupidly asked.

"Are you stupid?" she asked, rhetorically, "You see me here, crying, and the first thing you ask is if I'm okay, when I'm so _**obviously **_not."

"Okay… bad choice of words. How about, 'I noticed you over here, by yourself, and you're crying. So… what's wrong?' Better?" I said with a lopsided grin. Finally, she turned to look up at me; her muddy green eyes reflecting in the light of the street lamps. I could see the track marks that were formed on her cheeks. Wow… she looked even more beautiful than she usually did. She looked like a little girl—not that I have a fetish for that kind of thing. She looked so innocent as opposed to the usual, tough as nails, no bullshit having Bonnie Bennett that I had become accustomed to.

"What isn't wrong?" she sighed, before she began to really look at me. "Damon, this world isn't mine, it's yours. I can't deal with the cattiness, or the need to one up somebody. It's like a competition – or more accurately, 'Survival of the Fittest.' Everyone is so sneaky and underhanded and I _**hate **_that." I cringed at the words that she was spewing from her mouth. _Sneaky _and _underhanded_ were the words that stuck out to me the most. She was right. We were sneaky and underhanded. This inane, childish, bet that we had going on was proof of that. We were playing people—nice, innocent, bystanders like they were our own toys. When Bonnie uttered those fateful words, I felt my heart clench. If she ever found out, she would hate me so much.

"I can imagine," I whispered, "but see, one thing good did come out of this." Bonnie cocked a brow. "A stunningly good looking friend." I smirked as I sat next to her.

"And somehow you _still _managed to make everything about you," Bonnie said, though not meanly, more like exasperated.

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned, genuinely confused. Her head snapped up and she gave me a look of disbelief.

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean?' Damon, are you being serious?"

"I am," I replied, somewhat offended and began with a loud sigh.

"You're so clueless," she huffed, cutting me off, "Damon, you've never looked at me twice before you basically started stalking me. You're so wrapped up in your whole 'popular world,'" she air quoted, "that you don't pay attention to anyone else or anything else. The only time a popularity god of your stature, steps down from you pristine pedestal is when you want something from us mere mortals. So… that begs the question; what do you want from me, Damon?"

During Bonnie's monologue, I could feel my airways constrict and I could feel the perspiration form at my hairline. Was she always this perceptive? Had someone (Kol) mentioned something about the bet to her? Where was all of this coming from?

My hand found its way to my knee and began rubbing back and forth on the rough denim material. It was a nervous habit that I picked up as a kid. When I felt like I was being put under a microscope. And I began doing this. Right now. Here. With Bonnie; with her simple question that wasn't so simple, reduced me to my childhood.

I hated that.

When being scrutinized, or when I find out that people were close to figuring out something that I didn't want them figuring out, I turned defensive.

"You know, _**Bonnie**_," I stretched out her name, "befriending you wasn't for my benefit or even for yours. I did it because I. Wanted. To. My popularity be damned. You intrigued me, so I went for it. Excuse me for trying to make friends at the end of the year. You think I'm up to something, don't you?" At her silence I continued. "You're special but not _**that**_ special." I sneered. The bullshit I was spewing was so convincing that I almost believed it myself.

Almost.

Bonnie was silent for a moment—so silent that I could have sworn that I could hear the wheels turning in her head. Just when I thought she was going to keep ignoring me, she spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"What was that?"

"I said," Bonnie exhaled, "I'm sorry. Look, I'm not used to being the center of attention and the fact that that's all you seem to make me, I'm having trouble dealing. So, will you accept my apology?"

Never in my entire life have I ever felt like a bigger jerk. Seriously, I've done so much bad to the girl and she didn't know any better. The clenching of my heart migrated to the pit of my stomach. Guilt felt like it was eating away at me and taking complete control over my body.

Feeling uncomfortable, I got off of the ground and wiped my hands off before sticking out my right one for Bonnie to take.

"Yeah, whatever. All's forgiven. Now, let's get a move on, okay?" I said hurriedly. She looked at my hand a moment longer before grasping my larger with her smaller. Tingles that felt like lightening bolts shot up my arm when my hand connected with hers. Oh shit. This was not good.

"I'm sorry… again," she said meekly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I rushed, "You're sorry. I'm sorry. The whole world is sorry!" I bit out. At her confused look, I continued. "Look, I'm sorry. Stuff is just getting to me and I don't know how to deal with it. Now, let's get you home." I said with a fake smile of encouragement. Bonnie said nothing, but she complied with my wishes. I lead her to my car and watched her as she climbed in. I strutted over to the driver's seat and started the ignition.

I was beginning to develop feelings for Bonnie and somehow I knew that shit was going to hit the fan soon.

_**Bonnie.**_

From an outsider looking in, I may have seemed like the, _Head Bitch In Charge_ with the way I handled Katherine Pierce. People were always so afraid of her, and that was how she gained her popularity—through fear. She was like Hitler—albeit, a woman, young, and as far as I know, not a Jewish hating bitch. Katherine hated everyone equally, except maybe after tonight; I was now probably residing at the top of her hit list. I didn't care. High school was going to be over soon and I was over the bullshit.

From an outsider looking in, I may have seemed like the, _Head Bitch In Charge_ with the way I handled Katherine Pierce, but in reality, no matter how much I tried not to let her words get to me—and how much I tried to remind myself how much of a bitch she is; I couldn't help but feel like there was a semblance of truth to her harsh words. I couldn't help but think that people didn't care whether I lived or died. I mean, I know that Grams would be sad, as would Aiden, but in reality, if I died, how many people would come to my funeral? I give Katherine that; at least people would care when the high school's resident 'Queen Bee' is six feet under.

As soon as I escaped the confines of the house, I could feel the summer's col breeze brush across my skin, making my face feel cooler due to the tears streaming down my face. When I was in there, I must have seemed so calm, and collected, and put together, but they don't realize how hard it was for me to hold myself together. For as long as I could remember, I made a promise to myself.

They would never see me cry.

And they won't.

Stumbling across the gravel in the driveway, I was caught off guard when my heel snapped and brought my body tumbling towards the ground. I hissed when I felt an errant rock cut into my knee, but I didn't move. I felt defeated. It was like; this incident was the straw that broke the camel's back. Was God trying to tell me something? I sure as hell didn't know. And just like the blood trickling down my knee, the tears were streaming down my face, and in that instance, I allowed myself to cry.

_**Damon.**_

I watched as Bonnie strutted out of the room as if she were the Queen of the World. Nobody in the vicinity could believe that, 'mousy little Bonnie Bennett,' told off the Queen Bitch of the high school, and shattered her ego in one fell swoop. If there were anything that I knew about Katherine in all my years of knowing her, I knew that she hated being called out on what everyone knew was true. Everything Bonnie said was the truth. Katherine will be irrelevant as soon as she left high school. Those 'keep in touch' signatures that people left in her yearbook will all be a lie. Bonnie knew that, I knew that, and even Katherine knew that, and that's what made Katherine angry. She was angry at the fact that some 'nobody' informed the rest of the student body of her biggest fear. Having everyone acknowledge that no one cares as much about her as she seems to think they do. Even Katherine Pierce is insecure, who'd have thought?

After a few more moments of awkward silence, the DJ turned the music back up to ear deafening proportions that were at before that impromptu girl showdown. Katherine stalked off in search of her reality star boyfriend, and I followed Bonnie out the door.

When I found Bonnie, I was surprised when I found her on the ground in Tyler's walkway, but as I grew closer, I was even more surprised when I found her with her shoulders slumped over, trembling as the sniffles grew louder as I grew closer to the girl in question. Why was she crying? Was this the same girl that handed Katherine's ass to her just moments before? Where did she go, and who was this fragile girl in her place?

Cautiously, I walked towards Bonnie and hesitantly placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Bonnie? What's wrong?"

"_Don't touch me!_" She hissed. Immediately, I retracted my hand from her shoulder and squatted next to her. We sat in silence, with me waiting on her to speak and for her… well, I'm not entirely sure what she was waiting for.

"You know," she began after a few moments of quiet, "I thought that saying what I've wanted to say to Katherine for all these years would make me feel better, but instead I realized something… I don't matter."

My jaw dropped. How in the hell could Bonnie believe that she didn't matter? Of course she mattered!

"Damn Bennett, out of this entire time that we've been hanging out together, I think what you just said was possibly the stupidest thing that could've ever come out of that pretty little mouth of yours." At my words, her head whipped up and she glared at me through her tear soaked eyes.

"You don't know anything!"

"Yeah, I do," I countered, "You know what's funny? The fact that you're either to blind or too stupid to see how much people love you. Damn it Bonnie! So what if _Katherine_ told you that you don't matter. It's _Katherine_; no one listens to the shit she spews from her mouth. Your Grams loves you so much. Your brother loves you so much. Did you know that he threatened me if I hurt you? And hell, I care about you… no matter how much of a bitch you can be to me." I chuckled as an afterthought. At my final joke, she looked at me before a smile crossed her features.

"I am kind of a bitch to you, aren't I?" she asked rhetorically. Even _I _knew to not answer that question. "I'm sorry… you know, for what it's worth. I'm just… tired. I am so tired of people thinking it's okay to let me down, and thinking that I'm okay with being let down. I know that on some level they care, but I'm glad that you really, genuinely seem to care. It's nice to have someone like that. Someone with no hidden agendas, no personal gain. I'm just me. Thank you." And then she hugged me.

"Sometimes," I began, "when you open up to people, you have to let the bad in with the good, that's all." I murmured into her hair.

And I felt like shit.

She trusted me.

And I was using her.

And in that moment of her showing her vulnerability, I knew one thing.

I was falling for her.

Hard.


	6. Changes

_**A/N: **_

_**Hey you guys! I'm finally back with another installment of She's All That. Okay, all rights reserved or whatever. I realized I'm a total dumbass because I updated the wrong chapters! So hopefully you guys can bear with me. I hope that this chapter is better for you guys! So Sorry! This is a substitute 5&6!This is not for any kind of profit and I'm changing the story line bit by bit! I hope you all like this especial the much needed confrontation between Damon and Kol. Okay, I think I'm one of the few that don't like the Mikaelson crowd except for Rebekah. I'm not a Kennett fan or a Klonnie fan and I'm SORRY Klaus was a terrible bad guy for me. I'm a hardcore, diehard Bamon fan! So in that regard… there isn't going to be any romantic interaction with Bonnie and Kol (just the thought makes my skin crawl) but there's going to be some kind of twist between that! I hoe you all enjoy this chapter! And don't let my opinions stop you from reading my stories. **_

_**Bonnie**_

Ugh. Mondays…. How much I truly hate you.

Mondays just make me so mad, basically because it's the beginning of another school week. School was school to me. There was nothing great about it. It was going to the same seven classes with the same people that you've seen year round for four years; and for some, even longer. The only good thing about Mondays in particular when you're a high school senior, is that that's one last Monday that you have to deal with.

This Monday in particular had me on pins and needles because of the events that occurred over the weekend. There was no doubt that people would be talking about the altercation that happened between Katherine and me. It was like there was a revelation; I struck Katherine Pierce where it hurt—her popularity. I stood up to the biggest bitch at this high school, which used her bitchy ways to make her relevant. Who was the real Katherine Pierce? To me, she was the high school version of the Boogey Man. She was what middle school girls both feared and strived to be. They wanted to be Miss Rich and Popular—the one who had all of the friends and the attention from boys. People idolized her and feared her, but the fact that they wanted to be just like her confused me magnanimously. Why would you want to be that person? That girl? It surprised me how their 'idol' is nothing but a mortal female that exhibited two faced and fake behavior, but was admired by all. Personally, I would never fall for something that only lasts four years. I guess, I'll never understand the appeal.

As I pulled up into my school-issued parking spot, I noticed something… off about the whole situation. 1) No one was giving me looks of disgust. 2) People were actually smiling at me. 3) No one was throwing anything in my general direction. This was weird… I looked out into the parking lot and saw the student body walking past me with smiles on their faces and congratulations coming out of their mouths. What in the hell was going on?

"Wow, looks like you're the star of your own reality series, Bon. 'The Life and Times of the Mystic Falls Loser.'" Aiden chuckled. I rolled my eyes at my younger brother and slapped the back of his head with an open palm. "Ouch!" he griped.

"Get out." I responded as I turned the car off and reached for my backpack. Slowly, I maneuvered out of the car and righted myself before I moved towards the inside of the building. Maybe there was something on my face. Or on my clothes, I looked down out my outfit which consisted of a navy blue crochet dress that stopped just above the knee and some motorcycle boots.

Once inside the school, I noticed something strange… people were actually paying attention to me and not in the way that I was used to. Students were smiling and waving hello to me… stuff that never happened to me before. I was used to being invisible and to be visible was definitely different. What was going on? Rounding the corner, I found Caroline with a huge smile on her face and she looked like she was drowning in highly caffeinated coffee.

"Hey Bon Bon! How as the party that you so rudely didn't invite me to?" she chirped.

"Look, Care, I'm sorry that I couldn't invite you. Hell, I didn't even know that I was going until Damon practically showed up on my doorstep telling me that I was going."

"It's fine. But did anything _interesting _happen?" she waggled her brows.

"Interesting? Like what?" I questioned as we began walking to my locker. On the way there, people would shout things like, 'you go girl,' or 'I'm so voting for you.' What was going on? Seriously! This was getting ridiculous.

"Interesting like anything happening with a Mr. Damon Salvatore?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing has ever, nor will EVER happen with Damon Salvatore. I mean, we're friends… I guess, I mean… I wouldn't be opposed to dating him. But to him, I'm probably nothing more that mousey Bonnie Bennett."

"Bonnie," Caroline sighed, "stop doubting yourself. You're quite the catch, my dear. You're a pretty little toffee princess with stunning eyes and petite with curves. Plus, you're a dancer. Never sell yourself short, babe." Honestly, when people see Caroline, they think she's about as shallow as a kiddie pool, but in all reality, she was one of the deepest, smartest people I've ever known. When worst came to worst, I could count on my blonde-haired bestie to have my back. I pulled my friend into a tight hug, which she returned. When I pulled away from her, I looked around to see people smiling at me even more. Ok, this had to stop.

"Caroline, why are people smiling at me? You probably know what's going on." Caroline's blue eyes widened in disbelief at my question. It was like I was supposed to all of the sudden know what's going on in the mainstream lifestyle of the average student at Mystic Falls High School.

"You really don't know?" she gasped.

"Obviously not, which is why I'm asking," I quirked my brow.

"Bonnie! You've been elected for Prom Queen!" she squealed and hugged me.

"What—" I was interrupted by the school DJ's voice over the intercom.

"Well, well, earthquakes, straight up and listen up. Ballots are out. Looks like Chaotic Katherine's got herself a little dark horse competition...in the form of the fiery fairy herself. To be honest, l think the question on every Mystic Falls student's mind has got to be—"

"Who the hell would nominate me?" I all but shrieked at my blonde friend. I was Bonnie Bennett! The resident _nobody _at this stupid school, and now someone has nominated me for the sacred title of _Prom Queen_? This has to be a joke—or a prank—a really God -awful prank that would result in the pouring of pigs blood on my head after I was crowned. And unlike Carrie, I didn't have super cool telekinetic powers that would allow me to exact vengeance on the student body. I would be embarrassed and would want to die.

"This may come as a surprise, Bon, but people actually like you. And judging by this weekend's adventures and what happened at the party that I wasn't invited to," I gave her a look, "whatever you must have done, must've solidified your likability factor."

I sighed. She was probably right. I guess I spoke to Katherine the way that most people in this school wanted to speak to her. I was essentially the voice of the people.

"Yippie," I countered with false enthusiasm, "Prom Queen, just what I've always wanted to be when I grew up."

"Oh Bonnie," she whined, "stop being such a sour puss!" she laughed as she closed her locker. I gave my friend a look and she looked at me with a beaming, perfect, smile. Something about this whole situation seemed fishy. "I mean, think about it, you got invited to a party at _Tyler Lockwood's _house! I'm just going to ignore the fact that you didn't think to invite me, but it's whatever! You made an impression! Impressions are a good thing!"

"Can we please talk about something else?" I whined.

"You didn't even have a little bit of fun? Like… Ian Somerhalder proposing to you in the most romantic way possible?" she urged.

"Nothing can beat Ian—he's _Ian_," I complimented my unrequited lover. He was just—insert lustful sigh here.

Caroline and I began walking and continuing our conversation, when a few passer- byers walked by us either giving me a thumb's up or smiling in my direction. I didn't think anything of it but when another person came up to me and told me that I rocked? What kind of parallel universe was this?

"Since when do you rock, Bennett?" Caroline questioned. All I could do was answer her with a shrug and kept it moving. Just as the two of us rounded the corner, I heard the ungodly screeching coming from none other than the one and only Katherine Pierce.

"That bastard broke up with me!" she cried, hands in her face. "I mean, we weren't technically dating, but it's the principle! I mean, what kind of name is Mason Lockwood anyway?"

Then one of her cronies asked, "What happened?"

Katherine sniffed, "I- I don't know! One minute it was all great, _passionate,_ sex, and the next he was saying some bullshit about doing a reunion show for Cali Shore! Ugh! That bastard! He said some bullshit about not needing 'extra baggage.' Damn him! I actually thought I could almost love him!" she continued crying.

"What did he say after you told him that you almost loved him?" asked one of her cronies?"

"He said something along the lines of, 'you didn't think we'd actually be together after I left for another season of _Cali Shore_ did you? Oh my God, you thought we would be! That's so cute, but so unrealistic! It was fun while it lasted.' He's such a bastard! To think I spent the best… couple of weeks of my life! And he just threw it away!" she continued to wail. "At least I still have Prom Queen."

Just as I thought that God was on my side, the unthinkable happened… Rebekah Mikaelson walked by her former friend and stood right in front of her with her hands on her hips. "Doubtful," her British accent coating her words.

"What? What are you talking about, Rebekah?" When Katherine looked up, all of her mascara was running all over her face, and her face was red and sticky with tears.

"You have some competition, or did you not listen to the intercom?" She cocked her head to the side and stared down the brunette.

The latter laughed. "Who? You? Don't make me laugh harder than I already am!"

"Actually, no, it's not me… rather, my new bestie named Bonnie Bennett."

Oh hell…

X*X*X*X

**Bonnie**

"Caroline! It's not what you think!" I pleaded with my best friend as we sat down at our table for lunch. "Rebekah is just grateful for me being there for her during the party."

"Ugh, Bon, it doesn't matter. Rebekah is delusional. We're best friends. All is right with the world! Now, let's eat in this crappy place that they call a cafeteria!" she chirped as she skipped off to the lunch line.

Despite Caroline's 'cheery' demeanor, I could tell that she was hurt by the 'best friend' comment that Rebekah dealt the rest of the school, but that's all it really was… a comment. I guess in a parallel universe, we could be best friends, but in this universe, Caroline was it for me. In all honesty, being popular wasn't on my list of things to be. There was just no point to popularity, in my opinion; especially if it were only in the last month school was.

I sat down by myself as Caroline pranced over to a Mr. Tyler Lockwood in effort to get him to notice her. I don't understand why she wanted to be around him. Tyler Lockwood was a first class asshole. Sure, he invited me to the shindig at his house, but that was because he knew that Damon wouldn't come without me. I don't understand why he would think that. Damon and I were rarely seen out in public, so how he drew those conclusions with his GPA… it just didn't seem to add up. As I looked at my blonde friend, I could see that she was making progress with the black haired boy. Does it make me a bad friend if I say that I thought she would crash and burn? I don't want Caroline to get hurt, and I swear to God, if Tyler hurt her, that won't be the only thing that's hurting… when I looked back at them, I could see genuine smiles on both of their faces. At least she looks happy. My eyes drifted to the side, and as soon as I locked eyes on the exit of the cafeteria I saw a bloody looking Kol traipsing through the doors. My eyebrow quirked when not even a minute later, a slightly less bloody Damon storming in after him with all doom and gloom following his wake.

Ok… what the hell is going on?

_**Damon **_

I could hear my heart in my ears and I could feel it pulsating throughout my entire body. I could feel the sweat trickling down the sides of my face and the scent of freshly cut grass filling up my nose. Today, the soccer team was on practicing on the field, and like usual, all eyes were on me because I was the captain—I was Damon Salvatore and I am incapable of making mistakes in regards to the people at this Godforsaken school. I was a God among mere mortals. The pressure on me caused me to freak the hell out. Too much was on my mind right now, between picking my college, running student council and… Bonnie. I hadn't seen her or even spoken to her since the night of the party and I felt like a part of me was missing. Bonnie became important to me within a timespan of a few short weeks and I hated that she was able to worm her way into my mind for the last few days. I mean, they were the casualties of accidental dating—or betting. This bet was taking over my life. I felt like such a dick because while I've gotten to know Bonnie, the more I've felt the guilt eat away at me like a cancer. How could I do something like that to Bonnie? I've seen the love in her eyes, when she takes care of her brother and grandmother. She had a big heart. And for a moment she allowed herself to be vulnerable with me and cry.

I could feel the grass underneath my feet as I dribbled the ball closer and closer to the goal. Come on Damon! Come on! Once I was close enough to the goal, I kicked the ball towards the net in such a fashion that would have professionals vying for my technique—and missed? What the hell? I don't miss. I threw my head back in frustration while my teammates looked at me with disappointment at my miscalculation. God, what was happening to me? And like salt on a freshly opened wound, Kol trotted his way towards me followed by Stefan. Now was not the time for his bullshit.

"Damon, what the hell was that?" asked my fraternal twin.

"Didn't have it today, little brother," I huffed and puffed.

"Maybe," Kol intervened, "Or could it possibly be a symptom of withdrawal?" He smirked.

"Excuse me?" I dared him to say it again. I knew where this was going, and all I needed was an in, so I could kick his ass to hell and back.

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but it has been a little while since you've gotten any, right?" his accent lacing his words, "And you know something like that can really screw up a guy's concentration. Or maybe now you're thinking, you know, now that Katherine's free—" he laughed as he taunted me as he began invading my space. I was seconds away from rearranging his face.

"Whatever, Kol, you're just a jealous dick with nothing better to do with your sad, pathetic life, and you're asking for a beat down." I said walking away from the stupid imp. It was true. Kol was a pathetic wannabe who wanted my life because his sucked so bad.

"Damon—" Stefan tried to intervene.

"I don't know. Maybe it's Bennett's ass you wanna tap." I stopped, and looked back at the man-child with hate in my icy eyes. I swear to God, this kid was giving me all kinds of reasons to bury him. With the stealth of a lion, I stalked back over towards him with a feral look.

"It's not about that."

"l mean, if you're not gonna partake, do you mind if l do?" he grinned. "She might be a great in bed. I mean, the way I'd envision it, it would kind of be like coffee and cream. l swear to God that it would be one hell of a cup of coffee…" I swear to God this kid has a death wish.

"I'll take you out if you fucking touch her!" I yelled as I pushed the kid down to the ground and grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and raised my fist to beat him to a bloody pulp. My ever-present twin brother grabbing onto my wrist halted my actions. What the fuck every happened to twin telepathy? Doesn't my twin know that I was to bash this kid's face into the ground and beat him beyond recognition?

"Calm down, man," Stefan urged. I rolled my eyes as I looked up at my brother and pushed myself off of the pain in my ass beneath me. I stood up next to my brother with my arms folded looking at the moron trying to gather his bearings. God, he looked pathetic trying to look and act all big and bad.

"You know what? Screw you, Damon!" Kol shouted.

"Considering the fact that you do what you do to get attention from me—a reaction from me. I think you'd actually want to screw me Kol. Some kind of foreplay for you, isn't it?"

"You know, for four years, l've watched you fool people into thinking you're some sort of god in this place. Well, guess what. This is one contest you're gonna lose."

"See, I don't have to fool people into liking me or thinking I'm some sort of god. I like myself just as I am. But you, you're pathetic Kol. You think this bet is your chance to one up me? Think again. I will have pleasure destroying you, Mikaelson. Great pleasure."

"You're going down, asshole!" he shouted as he charged his body at me, tackling me to the ground. I wasn't going to lie; I was surprised as hell that he did something as ballsy as throwing himself at me like he was some big, bad, badass. Uh huh. I was the only badass at this school and some insecure little man -child wasn't going to change that because he wasn't even a reoccurring cast member in the _Damon Show_. He wouldn't even be able to be on IMDB. This was moment I've been waiting for. I needed to put Kol's ass in check.

Within moments, I switched positions and began to pummel his face in. I have been waiting for this day to come. My fists rained down on him like a hailstorm. Unfortunately, as I reared my fist back for another punch he caught me off guard and threw a punch directed at my jaw and knocked me backwards—stunned. When I shook my head, my vision returned in just enough time to see him charging back at me. He clipped my jaw yet again and knocked me back down. I gave him the right hook and crawled to my feet. Once I was erect, I kicked the smarmy bastard in the solar plexus, causing him to gasp and instinctively curl into a fetal position. When I was sure that Kol was down for the count, I kneeled down next to him with my arm over my knee and watched him squirm.

"You know," I said with a light tone in my voice, "you brought this on yourself, _friend_. No matter what you do or how you try, you're always going to be less of a man than me. And you want to know why? Because that's you role in my life—to be my little bitch boy." And with that I stood up and made my way to the cafeteria. I was Damon Salvatore, and nothing was going to change that.

_**Bonnie**_

I haven't seen Damon all day. I mean, was he avoiding me? And the only glimpse of him that I had seen was him walking in here all bloody and looking like he just walked off of the set of _Fight Club_. Ugh! I hate men! I mean, I was naked with Damon—emotionally naked and after the apologizing that I did he seemed to pull a Batman and disappear without another word to me saying that he was eventually going to come back. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. I hate not knowing. Usually, I'm the kind of person that has to control things, and when things are out of my control, I tend to get a little bit pensive and stressed out and crazed… maybe I have some form of OCD? This just wasn't going the way I expected.

I liked Damon… like a lot. And liking Damon was the ultimate no-no. I couldn't be some delusional girl yearning over some guy. Damon would never look at me like that… ever. As I sat lost in thought, I didn't notice my bubbly friend sitting next to me.

"What's eating at you, BB?"

"Am I kissable, Caroline?"

"Whoa there, Bennett, I thought you were into Damon, not me. Even though I'm quite flattered."

"Who said anything about being into Damon… or you for that matter?"

"Oh come _on_ Bon- Bon. You totally have the hots for Mr. Damon Salvatore and you know it. He's a sex god! I mean, I'd totally screw his brains out without a second thought—"

"—Hello, still a virgin, here."

"Doesn't matter. Do you want to jump his bones or not?"

"I do but—"

"—There's your answer! Go for it!"

"But I—"

And before I could complete my thought, I saw Aiden run into some of the bullies that have been harassing him. God, I seriously hated them. It was some asshole named Jason something or other and Todd. It wasn't a secret that my parents weren't very parental… but the entire town knew; people and the looks of pity on their faces as they looked at us knowing that our parents didn't give two shits. Aiden had Asperger's and that made him a prime target for bullying. As soon as I stood up to make a move to get them to let go of him, they pushed him to the ground and shoved a Playboy magazine at his face as he struggled to get up while the other… oh God, reached into his pants and plucked a few of his own pubic hairs from himself and sprinkled it all over the nearest taco. Before I could make my way over to Aiden, Damon intervened and it seemed like the world stopped on its axis.

"Let him go," his voice boomed and they did what was asked of them. "Now, let me tell you what you're gonna do," Damon said as he picked up the disgusting magazine, "You're gonna get up and come get your magazine and apologize to my friend Aiden here before I beat your ass."

"Sorry," mumbled Jason.

"Yeah, sorry," agreed Todd.

"You, pube boy," Damon addressed Jason, "I want you to grab that taco and take a nice big bite… pubes and all," He smirked.

"What? No way!" he said, disgusted.

"So you weren't going to have my boy here, eat that?" He said, knowingly.

"We were," Jason admitted.

"So this is what you're going to do, you're going to eat that shit, and you're going to do it with a smile on your face, got me?" Damon hissed… and by God it was hot! With his face scrunched up, he reached over to the aforementioned taco and raised it to his mouth with a shaking hand, and with a grimace, he bit down on the pubic haired taco. "Remember to smile." The kid did as he was asked and smiled. "That's it. Chew, chew, chew." And the kid complied! Who knew Damon had that much power over people?

_**Damon**_

I watched as the poor bastard ate the taco with disgust written all over his face. This was hilarious! I couldn't believe my eyes. He was actually doing what I asked him to do! Damn, it was good to be me! I wasn't the kind of person that tolerated bullying whatsoever. I didn't know Aiden that well, but I know that he didn't let his 'handicap' get to him. I was sick of bullies thinking that it was okay to rule over people with fear. The difference between assholes like that, and me, is that I rule with an iron fist and I use words instead of my fists… except when I did a good job rearranging Kol's face. In retrospect, I think I did him a favor. As I looked on at the kid eating the taco, I realized that there were two bullies… I couldn't keep him from the action!

"Hold on. Don't finish that." I commanded. He did as he was asked and gratefully put the taco down and swallowed. "Todd here wants a piece of the action too."

"No way! Those are his pubes."

"Well, l guess you should've thought about that before you decided that my friend, Aiden here, was going to be your next target."

"Thanks, Damon. You know, for everything," Aiden thanked profusely, before turning back to the guys and had a maniacal grin on his face, "That's right, scarf that baby down!" That's my boy.

"Think this is bad? I _dare _you to mess with him again," I looked to my new partner in crime. "You good here?"

"Yep!"

"Good, I'll be seeing you." And as soon as I moved away from Aiden, my eyes locked on Bonnie's who was staring at me with a confused expression on her face. I needed her to know that I wasn't doing it for her, but I genuinely liked the kid. And with that, I walked out of the cafeteria with my pride intact.

_**Bonnie**_

After the scene with Damon, I followed him outside of the cafeteria. When I was no more than ten feet away, I ran into the female Mikaelson who had a worried look on her face. Something tells me that my day is going to go down hill.

"What?" I asked without preamble.

"I just wanted to warn you that Katherine is on the war path," the British beauty began, "she doesn't take too kindly to competition."

"But I wasn't competing!" I said, desperately.

"Well, apparently you are, love."

"Well, I want to un-run, can you do that for me?" As soon as Caroline opened her mouth to intervene, I saw Katherine strutting down the hallway with her posse trampling behind her like she owned the school. With a fake small plastered on her face handing out lattes to people that she has deemed 'below her station.' And damn… those people actually believed that she was genuine. Poor fools. All of the sudden, her hazel eyes set he sights on me and she stalked towards me like a predator.

"So this is my competition? Ha! Don't make me laugh!" she giggled.

"What's the matter, Katherine? I don't care about winning Prom Queen, but when I do win… it'll hurt. Won't it? Knowing that someone who couldn't give two shits about winning something that you're so desperate for, beat you? Boo hoo, Katherine. Boo Hoo."

"I will destroy you," she hissed.

"Is that the best you've got? You'll 'destroy me?' Oh, Katherine, I think you've lost your edge," I spoke condescendingly. Instead of biting back with a snarky remark, she strode past me knocking her shoulder against mine. She thought that she could walk all over me like a pathetic wimp? Screw her! I did not fear Katherine Pierce. And _**when**_ I beat her at her own game, she'll know what's up.

_Game on bitch._

_X*X*X*X_

_**Bonnie **_

Today has been one of the most trying days of my life and all I wanted to do was let loose. I was running for _Prom Queen_ that's the most sought after position of a high school senior girl… but I didn't really want it. When I made my way out of my car, I saw about half the student body wearing, 'Vote Bonnie B for Prom Queen' pins.

I wanted to throw up. Like, legitimate vomit all over the place because I've never been under so much scrutiny. I felt like an organism under a microscope. Everyone was either giving me dirty looks and whispering amongst themselves, or they were openly congratulating me on running. I didn't even know that I was running. When the hell did that happen?

As I stood by my car waiting for Damon, I watched as he came around the corner with a posse of his own. They almost looked like his… friends. I guess his afternoon with Damon left him with a newfound confidence that I've never seen from my baby brother. I would have to thank him for that. When he reached the car, he turned around and bid farewell to his new clique of people that actually seemed to fit him. This is the happiest I've seen him.

"So I take it, you had a good day?"

"Bon… this has been the best day of my life."

X*X*X*X

We arrived home a few minutes later with Aiden feeling on top of the world and with me… feeling conflicted. My thoughts often drifted to Damon. I came to the startling realization that I somehow managed to develop feelings for Damon Salvatore. I don't how it happened, it just did. My whole life I was dedicated to not being like all the girls within a mile radius. Having a crush on Damon Salvatore was the ultimate no-no. Not that Damon was a man whore or anything… okay, well, yes he was, but there was something about him that made me think that all could be right with the world.

And then… he took me home, walked me to my door, and just… stared at my with those beautiful, blue, crystal orbs. At first, I thought that there was something on my face, but then, he got this look in his eyes—like the ones you see in romantic comedies—and began leaning in. And just as he got within inches of my lips, he stuttered a meek 'have a nice night' and turned around and all but ran to his vintage car. And I haven't spoken to him since then. What was wrong with me? Was I not kissable? Was I still the lowly Bennett girl that everyone made fun of me and hated me for absolutely no reason. There is no way my life could possibly get any worse.

As soon as I walked into the house I was greeted with the most unpleasant sight of my life… my very absentee parents watching my brother and me walk through that door with my very once in a blue moon sober Grams. My life feels like it's slipping through my fingers.

_**Damon**_

I was feeling good about being able to stand up for Aiden. He was a great kid who didn't have a bad bone in his body. With his handicap people thought that it was fun and would be acceptable to play a round of _Kick the Kid_. All Aiden needed was a man to stand up for his wellbeing instead of his big sister fighting his battles. I do realize that Bonnie has practically raised him her whole life but there comes a time in every man's life when he needs to step up and be that man in his own way.

And every bit of what I just said applied to the very moment when I walked through that door into my house, I knew that something was off. The air seemed still and cold and there was no sign of my brother, mother, or father. I guess I had the house to myself. Slowly, I climbed up he steps to my room. To my surprise, the light in my room was on and in the center of it, stood my father, Giuseppe Leonardo Salvatore, with my various acceptance letters in his hands. I moved closer and felt the creak of the wood beneath my feet—alerting him of my presence.

"You wanna explain this to me, Damon?" he said in an eerily calm tone of voice as he held up my Oxford acceptance letter in his hands. I was in no mood to deal with my father's bullshit. Not today

"Can we talk about this later—

"Damon Giuseppe Salvatore, have you got any idea how much you are jeopardizing your future? Do you?" He yelled. "Half of these acceptance deadlines have lapsed!" He finished as he tossed it onto the surface of my desk.

"lt's not that easy, Dad," I griped and moved over to the bed and sat down as I stared up at the man I called father. "l'm not like you. l just can't pick a letter out of a stack."

He huffed in exasperation. "Of course you can. That's what being an adult is all about. Making choices."

"Really?" I scoffed.

"Yeah."

"What about your choices, _father_?" I sneered.

"This is not about me, Damon, this is about your future."

"Ugh, let me put this in layman's terms, _father. _You're never home. You're pissed off half the time!" I shouted, getting a hell of a lot more furious.

"That's enough!"

"You want to know what your problem is? It's me! You hate me! I don't know what I did to piss you off so badly or why I can't be the perfect son, and you think the solution to your problem is to fix it by sending me to England! l'm sorry. But you can't fix your mistakes through me." There, I said it. I finally said what's been driving me up the wall for years. My father then looked at me—like really looked at me, as if this was the first time he's actually seen me before.

"ls that what you think l'm doing?" his tone slightly softer. "l'm sorry, but that was never my intention. But having you blame me isn't going to change the fact that the future is going to happen, whether you are ready for it or not. It's up to you to decide what you want to do with it." He finished as he left the room and leaving me with my thoughts. The future was going to happen whether I was ready or not; whether I wanted it to or not. I was scared and I needed to get my life together. Starting with Bonnie… I had to tell her the truth.

_**Bonnie**_

Everyone has to have those days where they wished that the ground would just open up beneath them and swallow them up in one sitting. Today was one of those days. My parents decided to come home and pretend like everything was okay… like they didn't abandon their children, leaving their own parent or in-law to take care of them. They thought that we actually wanted to be with them after they just left on different business trips on separate parts of the world conveniently at the same time. Their excuse? They needed to rekindle their love… yeah that was plausible after four years of disappearing acts.

After a few words exchanged between the five of us, I left to my sanctuary in the basement turned dance studio. I turned on the angsty music of _Evanesence, _blasting _My Immortal _on repeat as I danced my heart out. Every move was fluid like I was painting my own Mona Lisa or my own Starry Night with the movements of my body. Dance was always an outlet of my inner turmoil that I had pent up in me. I had anger from my parents' four -year abandonment. I had anger from the people that have bullied my family. And I had some anger from Damon's unknowing rejection of me. I just needed to breathe.

Hours later, I was dripping sweat and so focused, that I didn't hear the door open behind me.

"Hey there, Bennett…" I turned around and got the biggest shock of my life… seeing Damon Salvatore standing in my basement with one of his special smiles that I don't even think _he _knew he did. Question is… what is he doing here?

_**A/N: **__**Okay! I'm back! As you can tell I changed the chapters and stuff from the prior ones! So far, this is the longest chapter, and I know that things are out of order from the movie, but that's all apart of my grand, master, plan! I have a poll that you can leave in a review on if you want Bonnie to become Prom Queen or to stick to the script and let Katherine aka Taylor win?**_


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